Lacing system for footwear

ABSTRACT

Articles of footwear (e.g., soft snowboard boots) that may be tightened from the rear side to enhance heel hold are disclosed. A lace may be coupled to a strap that extends along a portion of the rear side of the boot body. The lace and strap may be arranged such that, upon tightening of the lace, the strap is pulled toward the front side. Tensioning of the lace may cause the lace to be pulled inward so as to exert a normal pressure against the medial and lateral sides of the boot, resulting in the sides being drawn inward toward the shaft region of the boot. The lacing system may employ one or more tightening zones where separate regions of the boot may be tightened independently from, or simultaneously with, one another. For example, a boot that is configured to have two tightening zones may include a first lace arranged so as to tighten a portion of the boot including at least one of the rear side, the medial side and the lateral side; and a second lace arranged so as to tighten another portion of the boot, including at least part of the front side. As a result, various “zones” of the boot may be separately controlled, tightened independent from one another, as desired.

BACKGROUND

1. Field

Aspects described herein relate generally to tightening arrangements forarticles of footwear, such as boots, including snowboard boots.

2. Discussion of Related Art

Conventional boots incorporate a lace threaded back and forth throughthe medial and lateral sides of the front side of the boot. Typically,the lace has two free ends protruding from the top portion of the boot,which a wearer can pull to tighten the front side of the boot about hisor her foot and leg.

The same is true of many snowboard boots, particularly snowboard bootsof the “soft” variety. Soft boots, as their name suggests, typicallyinclude relatively soft materials (e.g., leather, fabric, and/or thinplastic components) that are more flexible than the more rigid,typically molded plastic shell of a hard boot. Soft boots are generallymore comfortable and easier to walk in than hard boots, and are oftenfavored by riders who engage in recreational, “freestyle” ortrick-oriented snowboarding.

In conventional boot lacing systems, the lace is often threaded toextend only over the tongue opening of the boot. In such arrangements,tightening of the lace is limited to the front side of the boot, whichmay lead to an uneven distribution of tension throughout the boot,resulting in a loose fit or feel in various parts of the boot for thewearer.

SUMMARY

In an illustrative embodiment, a soft snowboard boot is provided. Theboot includes a body having a front side, a rear side, a medial side anda lateral side defining a shaft region; and a lace cooperating with arear side of the body and arranged to be tightened to draw at least oneof the rear side, the medial side and the lateral side of the bodyinward toward the shaft region of the body.

In another illustrative embodiment, a boot is provided. The bootincludes a body having a front side, a rear side, a medial side and alateral side defining a shaft region; and a lace arranged to partiallycircumscribe a portion of the body, and the lace arranged to betightened to draw at least one of the rear side, the medial side and thelateral side of the body inward toward the shaft region of the body.

In a further illustrative embodiment, a boot is provided. The bootincludes a body having a front side, a rear side, a medial side and alateral side defining a shaft region; at least one strap extending alonga portion of the rear side of the body; and a lace coupled to the atleast one strap and arranged to be tightened to draw at least one of therear side, the medial side and the lateral side of the body inwardtoward the shaft region of the body.

In yet another illustrative embodiment, a boot is provided. The bootincludes a body having a front side, a rear side, a medial side and alateral side defining a shaft region, the front side having a tongueopening; a first lace portion arranged to be tightened to draw at leastone of the rear side, the medial side and the lateral side of the bodyinward toward the shaft region of the body; and a second lace portionarranged to be tightened independently from tightening of the first laceportion, to pull medial and lateral sides of the tongue opening towardone another.

In a further illustrative embodiment, a method of tightening a bootincluding a body having a front side, a rear side, a medial side and alateral side defining a shaft region. The method includes tensioning alace coupled to at least one strap to draw at least one of the rearside, the medial side and the lateral side of the body inward toward theshaft region of the body.

In another illustrative embodiment, a method of tightening a bootincluding a body having a front side, a rear side, a medial side and alateral side defining a shaft region, the front side having a tongueopening. The method includes tensioning a first lace portion to draw atleast one of the rear side, the medial side and the lateral side of thebody toward the shaft region of the body; and tensioning a second laceportion independently from the tensioning of the first lace portion, topull medial and lateral sides of the tongue opening of the front side ofthe body toward one another.

Various embodiments provide certain advantages. Not all embodiments ofthe present disclosure share the same advantages and those that do maynot share them under all circumstances.

Further features and advantages of the present disclosure, as well asthe structure of various embodiments are described in detail below withreference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Various embodiments will now be described, by way of example, withreference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1A is a plan view of the lateral side of an article of footwear inaccordance with an embodiment;

FIG. 1B is a plan view of the medial side of the article of footwear ofFIG. 1A;

FIG. 1C is a plan view of the front side of the article of footwear ofFIGS. 1A-1B;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the lateral side of another article of footwearin accordance with another embodiment;

FIG. 3A is a plan view of the lateral side of yet another article offootwear in accordance with an embodiment;

FIG. 3B is a plan view of the medial side of the article of footwear ofFIG. 3A;

FIG. 3C is a plan view of the front side of the article of footwear ofFIGS. 3A-3B;

FIGS. 4A-4B are perspective views from the lateral and medial sides ofan article of footwear in accordance with another embodiment;

FIGS. 5A-5B are perspective views from the lateral and medial sides ofyet another article of footwear in accordance with an embodiment; and

FIGS. 6A-6D show plan views from the lateral sides of various articlesof footwear in accordance with some embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The inventors have appreciated that it may be beneficial to incorporatea lacing system in an article of footwear, such as a boot (e.g., softsnowboard boot), that provides for a greater level of tightness controlin various regions of the footwear, than has previously been available.The present disclosure relates to arrangement(s) and/or technique(s) foran article of footwear to provide, when tightened, additional tightnessin various regions, which may lead to increased comfort. Embodimentsdiscussed herein may provide for a suitably close fit around the footand ankle of the wearer, for an enhanced heel hold or otherwise snugfit.

For example, it may be preferable, during tightening of one or more laceportions, for the rear side of the boot to be squeezed or otherwisepulled inward against the Achilles' tendon area of the wearer. Or, upontightening, the medial and/or lateral sides of the boot may be drawninward toward respective medial and/or lateral sides of the lower leg orankle of the wearer. In some cases, tightening of the lace portion(s)may cause one or more straps to be pulled inward toward the front of theboot. In some embodiments, the strap(s) may be drawn inward toward thefront side of the boot, or the strap(s) may remain fixed along the rearbackstay. As the lace portion(s) may extend around the medial and/orlateral sides of the boot, upon tightening, the respective medial and/orlateral sides of the boot may be drawn inward toward the shaft region ofthe boot.

As provided herein, the shaft region of the boot is a space surroundedby an upper region of the boot which extends along the shaft axis A(depicted in FIG. 1A) toward the location within the boot where the heelof the wearer is placed. The shaft region accommodates the ankle andlower leg of a wearer therein when the boot is worn. The shaft region isthe volume of space that is circumscribed by the front side, the rearside, the medial side and the lateral side of the body of the boot.

Further, tightening of the rear side, medial side and/or lateral side ofthe boot may occur in cooperation with tightening of the front side,simultaneously therewith or independently therefrom. In this manner, theboot is able to provide a relatively snug fit, along both the front,rear, medial and lateral sides of the foot, adding to overall securenessand/or comfort for the wearer.

This is in contrast to conventional boots noted above, where the lacesof such boots are threaded so as to extend only over the tongue openingon the front side. Tightening of the lace of such conventional bootscauses opposing edges of the tongue opening to be drawn toward oneanother, resulting in constriction of the front side of the boot withoutsignificant tightening of the rear side.

In certain embodiments of a boot in accordance with the presentdisclosure, upon tightening of the lace(s) of the boot, a portion of atleast one of the rear side, the medial side and the lateral side of theboot may be brought inward so as to hug or squeeze into the leg orankle, around the Achilles' tendon area of the wearer. In someembodiments, the rear side of the boot may be relatively fixed inposition such that when the lace(s) of the boot are tightened, themedial and lateral sides of the boot are drawn inward toward the shaftregion while the rear backstay remains substantially in place. Though,in other embodiments, the rear side of the boot may also be drawn inwardtoward the shaft region of the boot upon tightening. The front of theboot may also be tightened, for example, around the tongue. Suchtightening of the front side may occur along with the other sides of theboot, or separately therefrom. In this manner, the boot is able toprovide a snug fit, along the circumference of the lower leg.

While various embodiments of the present disclosure include a lacingsystem for a boot, such as a soft snowboard boot or other boot (e.g.,ski boot, hiking boot, snow shoes, rain boots, etc.), aspects describedherein may be incorporated with any article of footwear, for example, ashoe, skate, or other suitable covering for the foot.

The boot may include a lace, where a portion of the lace extends towardthe rear of the boot, though, in certain embodiments, the lace itself isarranged to partially circumscribe a portion of the rear side of theboot body (e.g., upper region or shaft of the boot which surrounds theAchilles' tendon area). In some embodiments, while the lace may beconfigured so as to extend along the medial and lateral sides of theboot and to be pulled against the rear side toward the front upontightening, the lace is not required to completely surround theperimeter (e.g., circumference) of the upper region of the boot. Forexample, the lace may extend over the upper region of the front side,and portions of the medial and lateral sides of the boot without fullyextending around the rear side of the boot in a manner so as tocircumscribe the upper region of the boot. Alternatively, the lace mayextend over the rear side of the boot, yet not extend completely overthe front side of the boot. It can be appreciated that the presentdisclosure is not so limited in this respect, as it can be appreciatedthat, for some embodiments, the lace may circumscribe or completelyencircle the shaft region, or another region, of the boot.

In various embodiments, the boot includes a strap that extends around aportion of the rear side of the boot body, for example, the part of therear side that covers the Achilles' tendon area or a portion of the calfof the wearer. In some embodiments, the strap substantially covers therear side of the boot body. The lace and the strap may be coupledtogether or otherwise arranged such that when the lace is tightened, thestrap is pulled inward toward the front of the boot body (e.g., againstthe rear side of the boot), so that the boot more suitably hugs the backof the ankle region. Though, it is not necessary for the strap to moveinward toward the front of the boot body; for example, as furtherdiscussed herein, the strap may remain in place adjacent the rearbackstay during tensioning of the lace(s) while the medial and lateralsides of the boot are drawn inward toward the shaft region, so that theboot more suitably hugs the ankle and/or lower leg (e.g., calf/shinareas) of the wearer. For example, the rear backstay of the boot may bestiffer in comparison to the medial and lateral side walls of the boot.

As the laces are tightened, the tension of the laces increases.Accordingly, the increase in tension of the laces causes the laces tomove toward a more straightened configuration. Though, because the lacesare arranged to extend along the sides of the boot around a curvedsurface, this build-up of tension results in an overall exertion of anormal force or pressure inward toward respective sides of the boot,resulting in an inward movement thereof. In some cases, as the sides ofthe boot move inward toward the shaft region of the boot, the relativelysofter material on the sides of the boot may exhibit a slightaccordion-like wrinkling where the material tends to buckle or otherwiseslightly bunches together.

The rear backstay of the boot may incorporate any suitable composition.For instance, the rear backstay may include a relatively stiff material,such as an ionomer extrusion resin (e.g., SURLYN®), or anotherappropriate material. The medial and lateral sides of the boot may alsoinclude any suitable material, for example, a fabric, polymer, or othermaterial. As a result, for some embodiments, upon tightening of thelaces, the material of the rear backstay of the boot may remainstationary, maintaining its shape, while the material of the medial andlateral sides of the boot move inward and, in some cases, exhibit theabove described crumpling effect.

The lace may be tightened and locked so as to retain its tension byemploying any suitable mechanism. In some embodiments, the lace may bearranged so as to be graspable by a wearer or other device, pulled to adesirable tension and locked in an appropriate manner. For example, afree end of the lace may include a portion of lace that is looped backonto itself to create a handle (or a separate handle may be attached tothe lace) to facilitate pulling of the lace by a wearer. Once apreferred tension is reached, the lace may be tied, or locked in placeby a lace lock, so that the tension of the lace is preserved for adesired period of time, for example, until the lace is untied orunlocked. Or, in some embodiments, an optional tensioning member iscoupled to the lace and used to pull one or more ends of the lacethereto. For example, a rotary closure system, described further below,may be employed. Alternatively, the tensioning member may include aratcheting and/or buckling device that is coupled to the lace andprovides tension thereto. It should be appreciated that the presentdisclosure is not limited to the use of any particular type of closuredevice, as any mechanism that is capable of taking up slack in the lacecan be used in connection with various aspects of the presentdisclosure.

As noted above, various regions of the boot may be tightenedindependently from, or simultaneously with, one another.

In various embodiments of the present disclosure, the boot may beconfigured to have a single zone for tightening various sides (e.g.,front, rear, medial, lateral sides) of the boot at the same time. Forinstance, such a boot may include a lace that is threaded on the frontside between medial and lateral sides of the tongue opening of the boot,for drawing medial and lateral sides of the tongue opening toward oneanother, and that also extends toward the rear side of the boot, forpulling of the rear side and/or medial and lateral sides of the upperregion inward toward the shaft region (e.g., by being coupled with astrap). The lace may be coupled to one or more suitable tensioningmembers, for appropriately tightening and loosening the lace, asdesired.

Or, as discussed above, for certain embodiments, the boot may beconfigured to have multiple zones where each zone is tightened andloosened independently from the other zone(s), separately adjustable bythe wearer. Such configurations may increase overall fitting control,comfort, flexibility and/or performance for the wearer. For instance, aboot that is configured to have two tightening zones may include a firstlace and tensioning member arranged so as to tighten the medial/lateralsides of the boot (medial/lateral “zone”), and a second lace andtensioning member arranged so as to tighten at least a portion of thefront side of the boot (front “zone”). Accordingly, the medial/lateralzone of the boot may be tightened independent from a portion of thefront zone of the boot, separately controlled, as desired.Alternatively, for some embodiments where two tightening zones areemployed, a first tightening zone may be arranged so as to tighten anupper region of the front zone and the medial/lateral sides of the boot,and a second tightening zone may be arranged to tighten the lower regionof the front zone, independent from the first tightening zone. In someembodiments, where the rear side of the boot is drawn inward toward theshaft region, a rear “zone” may also be provided separate from or incombination with another zone, whether the medial/lateral zone and/orfront zone.

In some embodiments, each zone may include a dedicated lace andtensioning member, where the tensioning member is coupled to the laceand used to pull one or more ends of the lace thereto. For example, aboot may be configured with a first lace and tensioning member foradjusting a medial/lateral zone, to bring the medial and lateral sidesof the boot inward toward the shaft region. The boot may also beconfigured with a separate second lace and tensioning member foradjusting a front zone, to tighten the front side of the boot. Or, asshown and described in various embodiments below, a first lace andtensioning member may be arranged so as to be able to tighten a firstlacing zone, which includes an upper region of the front side of theboot and the medial/lateral sides of the boot; and a separate secondlace and tensioning member may be arranged so as to tighten a secondlacing zone, including a lower region of the front side of the boot.

In such examples, the wearer can choose for part of the boot to fit moretightly, and for another part of the boot to fit less tightly. Forinstance, a wearer may tighten a first lacing zone to one tension withone lace, or portion of a lace, and a second lacing zone to anothertension with another lace, or portion of a lace. The present disclosureis not limited in this regard, however, as the boot may be divided intolacing zones in any desired manner, and need not be divided into frontor rear lacing zones. Other multiple-zone configurations are alsocontemplated, and will occur to one of ordinary skill in the art. Forinstance, more than two lacing zones (in any desired configuration) maybe employed for additional flexibility, comfort and/or performance.

Aspects of the present disclosure may be employed in any suitablecombination as aspects are not limited in this respect to a specificdisclosed embodiment. Also, any or all of the above aspects may beemployed in a soft snowboard boot; however, the present disclosure isnot limited in this respect, as aspects described herein may be used onany type of footwear, including other types of boots, such as ski boots,hiking boots and non-soft snowboard boots. Various aspects andembodiments of the present disclosure will now be described in moredetail with respect to the accompanying drawing figures. The presentdisclosure is not, however, limited to the aspects and embodimentsshown.

In accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure, eachof the figures show a boot 100, configured for the right foot of awearer, and constructed as a soft boot employing soft, flexiblematerials such as leather, fabrics, plastics (e.g., non-rigid plastics)or other suitable natural or manmade materials. Of course, aspectsdiscussed are also applicable for the left foot of the wearer. As usedherein, the term “lateral side” is used to refer to the side of a bootfacing outward and away from the wearer, i.e., the left side of the leftboot and the right side of the right boot, when worn by the wearer. Theterm “medial side” is used to refer to the side of a boot facing inwardtoward the wearer's other foot, i.e., the right side of the left bootand the left side of the right boot, when worn by the wearer.

FIGS. 1A-1C depict a boot 100 configured to have a single lacing zonefor tightening the front side and shaft region (e.g., along the medialand lateral sides) of the boot, simultaneously. The boot 100 has a bootbody 110, a sole 120 and an inner lining 130. The body 110 has a lowerregion 112 adapted to cover the foot of a wearer, and an upper region114 adapted to cover at least a portion of the wearer's shin. The lowerregion 112 and upper region 114 of the body may be a part of the bootupper, which is generally known to those of skill in the art to be theportion of the boot above the sole 120. The upper region 114 may enclosethe shaft region of the boot and be aligned along a shaft axis A, whichextends along a direction that may be preferable to urge the leg of thewearer in an orientation that may be appropriate for the intendedpurpose of the boot. For example, the upper region 114 of the boot maybe tilted at an angle slightly forward, or in another appropriatedirection, so as to assist the wearer in conforming to a suitableriding/hiking stance. For soft boots, the shaft axis A of the upperregion 114 may shift slightly during use according to the wearer'sposture and weight distribution.

The liner 130 may be inserted into the interior region of the boot and,for example, may be removably attached to the body 110. In some cases,the liner may be provided with cushioning so as to provide a suitablelevel of comfort to the wearer. The liner 130 may also include one ormore J bars (not shown in the figures) located on medial and lateralsides toward the rear of the liner. J bars are known in the art asshaped inserts that fill space by extending along various regions of theAchilles' tendon region of the boot, which may be helpful to mitigateheel lift during use. The present disclosure is not limited in thisrespect, as no liner or J bars need be employed.

A tongue stiffener, whether removable or not, may be employed to stiffenan otherwise flexible tongue. An example of a tongue stiffener may befound in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 6,360,454, appropriate portionsof which are hereby incorporated herein by reference.

The body 110 further includes a tongue opening 116, disposed in ashin-to-toe direction. The tongue opening 116 may have an upper region117 and a lower region 118. A tongue 119 may be disposed within thetongue opening 116, and attached e.g., via stitching, at a lower endportion to the body 110, in a conventional manner known in the art.

The sole 120 is attached or formed integral with the boot body 110 andmay be made up of any suitable material, such as rubber or anothersynthetic material.

As shown in FIGS. 1A-1C, the boot 100 includes a lace 140 that may bethreaded through the medial and lateral sides of the tongue opening 116.For example, the lace 140 may be threaded via lace guides 160, 162,described further below, which have channels that accommodate passage ofthe lace 140 therethrough, so that the lace 140 extends over portions ofthe tongue opening 116.

As shown, the lace 140 extends over an upper region 117 of the tongueopening 116, passing through the lace guide 160. The lace 140 alsoextends over a lower region 118 of the tongue opening 116, passingthrough the lace guide 162. Accordingly, the lace 140 may be used totighten the entire front side of the boot 100 at both the upper region117 and the lower region 118. For example, tightening of the lace 140may serve to reduce the width of the tongue opening 116 by drawingmedial and lateral sides (e.g., edges) of the tongue opening 116 towardone another in a suitable manner.

The lace 140 can be arranged in a number of different ways, and thepresent disclosure is not limited to any particular implementation. Insome embodiments, the lace 140 follows a meandering path and does notcross over itself. Or, as shown, the lace 140 may cross over itself atappropriate locations of the boot. However, the present disclosure isnot limited in this regard, as other lacing patterns may be used as willbe apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art. For example, a lacingpattern in which laces cross over themselves may be employed. Multiplelaces may also be employed in various embodiments.

The lace 140 should be sufficiently strong so as to resist thesubstantial forces that can be encountered when snowboarding orperforming other activities, and in this respect may require greaterstrength than the laces typically employed in conventional footwear suchas athletic shoes. For example, the lace 140 can be formed from amonofilament or a multistrand line.

In accordance with one illustrative embodiment of the presentdisclosure, the lace 140 is formed of a low-friction material capable ofresisting a high tensile force without substantial elongation tominimize frictional engagement between the lace 140 and the lace guides160, 162, and thereby facilitate even pressure distribution throughoutthe lacing zones. While not limited to any particular material or anyparticular form (i.e., woven, braided, monofilament, etc.), examples ofmaterials that can be used for the lace 140 include various types offabrics, plastics, cables, metals, KEVLAR® and/or SPECTRA® Cord.

Embodiments described herein may be arranged to provide a suitabledegree of tightening of the rear side of the boot. As shown in FIGS.1A-1C, the lace 140 also extends from the front side of the bootrearward along the medial and lateral sides through respective laceguides 164. The lace 140 is coupled to a strap 150 that extends alongthe rear backstay of the boot, which is located over the Achilles'tendon area of the wearer. In some embodiments, the strap 150 wraps atleast partially around and covers the rear backstay.

The strap 150 may be attached or otherwise coupled to the boot by anysuitable method. For example, the strap may be stitched at its center,or other suitable location(s), to the rear side of the boot. Or, thestrap may be arranged to slide through one or more layers or slitsprovided by the boot. For example, as shown in FIGS. 2-3B, the strap 150extends underneath, or inside of, the rear backstay of the boot.

As further shown, the strap 150 includes strap lace guides 152 locatedon opposite ends of the strap, for holding the lace 140 on respectivemedial and lateral sides of the boot. For instance, FIG. 1A shows thelace 140 extending through the passageway provided by the lace guide 152of the strap 150 on the lateral side of the boot, and FIG. 1B showsanother side of the lace 140 extending through the passageway of thecorresponding lace guide 152 of the strap 150 on the medial side of theboot.

Accordingly, at both the medial and lateral sides of the boot, the lace140 forms a loop with the strap 150, or is coupled to the strap inanother suitable manner, so as to be able to pull against the strap in adirection toward the front side of the boot. For instance, when the laceis tightened, the lace 140 may pull against the strap 150 in a directionsubstantially parallel to the direction in which the strap extends(e.g., substantially perpendicular to the shaft axis A along which theupper region 114 of the boot is oriented), drawing or otherwise pullingagainst the strap 150 toward the front side of the body. In some cases,the strap 150 may be brought inward, in a suitable manner, so that asuitable pressure is applied from the rear of the boot to hug theAchilles' tendon area of the wearer. Or, the strap 150 may remainrelatively fixed while the medial and lateral sides of the boot aredrawn inward toward the shaft region so as to squeeze respective sidesof the ankle or lower leg of the wearer. In some embodiments, thepulling action on the strap 150 causes sides of the boot surrounding theshaft region to collapse, providing a secure, yet snug, fit for thewearer. As discussed above, upon tightening, the respective tension ofthe laces extending along the medial and lateral sides of the boot mayincrease, resulting in the application of a pressure in a directionperpendicular and inward relative to the surface of the boot.

In some embodiments, and as shown in the figures, the lace 140 may beconfigured to only partially circumscribe the upper region 114 of thebody 110. For example, the lace is not required to completely surroundthe circumference of the upper region of the boot body, yet may still bearranged so as to be able to pull against the rear of the body. Asillustratively shown in the embodiment of FIGS. 1A-1C, the lace may runalong the front, medial and lateral sides of the boot and may further becoupled to a rear strap, without fully extending around the rearbackstay.

Or, as illustratively shown in embodiments depicted in FIGS. 4A-4B and5A-5B, the lace may be arranged so as to extend around and cover aportion of the rear side, and may run along medial and/or lateral sidesof the boot, yet without extending across the front side. In eitherarrangement, tightening of the lace will result in the rear side of theboot being pulled inward in a suitable manner. Of course, the presentdisclosure is not limited in this manner, as for some embodiments, thelace 140 may fully circumscribe the body; that is, the lace may extendcompletely around the circumference of the upper region of the boot body(not shown in the figures).

In some embodiments, the lace 140 may have two opposing ends where oneof the ends is anchored at a suitable location of the boot and the otherend is manually tensioned (e.g., by pulling). Or, both ends of the lacemay be free so as to be anchored or tied at appropriate locations of thelace. In some embodiments, one or both ends of the lace 140 may becoupled to a tensioning member 170. For example, as discussed furtherbelow, the tensioning member 170 may be coupled to both ends of the lacein a rotary closure arrangement such that, upon tightening by thetensioning member, the tensioning member 170 reels or otherwise bringsthe lace 140 in from both ends. Or, one of the ends of the lace may becoupled to the tensioning member 170 and the opposite end of the lacemay be anchored at a location away from the tensioning member. In such aconfiguration, with one end of the lace remaining in the anchoredposition, the tensioning member may pull the lace taut from the opposingend.

As noted above, any suitable tensioning member 170 may be incorporatedin embodiments of the present disclosure. In various embodiments, alsoshown and described herein, the tensioning member 170 may employ arotary closure device, such as the BOA® closure system. With such adevice, one or both free ends of the lace may be threaded into the bodyof the device and wrapped around a spool as the spool is rotated to reelthe lace in to achieve the desired tension. Such closure devices may beused in other applications, such as for use with a cable tighteningsystem to replace conventional laces in an athletic shoe. Examples ofsuch rotary closure devices are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,738,027;3,808,644; 4,433,456; 4,616,524; 4,660,300; 4,748,726; 4,761,859;4,787,124; 4,796,829; 4,841,649; 4,884,760; 4,961,544; 5,042,177;5,065,481; 5,150,537; 5,152,038; 5,157,813; 5,325,613; 5,600,874;5,606,778; 5,638,588; and 5,669,116; and European patent applicationsEP056,953 and EP264,712.

FIGS. 1A-1C illustrate an embodiment of the tensioning member 170, whichhas a knob that is rotatable by a wearer to tighten or loosen the lace.As further shown in this embodiment, the tensioning member 170 iscoupled to both opposing ends of the lace. Accordingly, the tensioningmember may be actuated to create tension in the lace by pulling the lacein from the two ends. When desired, the tensioning member may also beactuated, for example, rotated in a loosening direction or moved to anunlocked position (e.g., by pulling the rotary knob upward relative tothe base), so as to loosen the lace and, thus, create a suitable amountof slack.

For illustrative purposes, FIGS. 1A-1C depict arrows along the lace 140that indicate the direction in which tension is applied to the lace uponactuation of the tensioning member 170, for pulling the lace in andtightening of the boot. For example, FIG. 1C shows the knob of thetensioning member 170 being rotated in a clockwise direction, resultingin tightening of the lace 140 from both ends. That is, both ends of thelace 140 are pulled into the tensioning member 170, resulting in thestrap 150, to which the lace is hooked at the medial and lateral sidesof the boot, being pulled in a direction toward the front side of thebody. In this embodiment, tightening of the lace 140 not only securesthe front of the boot 100 about the tongue 112, by drawing medial andlateral edges of the upper and lower regions of the tongue opening 116together, but also pulls against the strap 150 in a direction toward thefront of the boot. This pulling action against the strap 150 may resultin medial and lateral sides of the boot being drawn inward toward theshaft region.

The tensioning member 170 is shown in the figures to be secured at anupper region 114 of the body. Such a location may be convenient for awearer to reach down and adjust the tension of the lace without havingto bend over excessively. However, it can be appreciated that thetensioning member may be located at any appropriate location of theboot. For example, the tensioning member may be located on a surface ofthe lower region 112 of the boot, or at another suitable location. Or,the tensioning member may be located at a medial or lateral side of theboot, as further described herein.

As discussed above, in various embodiments, a number of lace guides maybe provided for suitably guiding and positioning the lace 140. The laceguide(s) may be formed in any desired configuration or arrangement. Forexample, they may comprise tubes (e.g., defining channels orpassageways) and/or openings, hooks, eyelets, posts, and any otherconfiguration or structure suitable to guide the lace. In someembodiments, the lace guide(s) may be secured to the body of the bootsubstantially limiting movement of the lace guide(s). Though, in otherembodiments, one or more lace guides may be loosely coupled to the bodyof the boot where the lace guide(s) are attached to the boot, yet may bere-positioned as desired.

In some embodiments, the lace guides 160, 162 around the tongue openingmay have semi-circular or generally “C” shaped guiding surfaces. Forexample, the lace guide may be partially closed to capture the lace andprevent the lace from dislodging from the lace guide when tension in thelace is relieved. The present disclosure is not limited in this regard,however, and any appropriate configuration of the lace guide to trap thelace may be used. For example, the back portion of the lace guide maycomprise a piece of flexible material to block the lace from becomingdislodged when tension in the lace is relieved. Other configurations arealso contemplated and will readily occur to one of ordinary skill in theart.

In one embodiment, the radius of curvature “r” of the guide surfaceprovides a gradual reversal of direction for the lace. Such a gradualreversal reduces kink points and reduces the chance that the lace willbind in the guide. In this manner, the efficiency with which the forceapplied to the lace is translated to the tightening tension on the laceis maximized. That is, drag or other losses are minimized. In oneembodiment, the radius of curvature “r” is approximately ½ inch. Othersuitable radii of curvature, or other suitable shapes for the laceguide, may be employed as the present disclosure is not limited in thisrespect.

The lace guides may be made from a low-friction material, such aspolytetrafluoroethylene or other plastic/polymer, to reduce frictionaldrag on the laces. The present disclosure is not limited in this regard,however, as the lace guides can be made from any appropriate material,such as metal, polymer(s) or fabric.

In some embodiments, one or more of the lace guides are provided so asto be suitably concealed from view. For example, the lace guide(s) maybe located internal to the boot body, or positioned underneath theexternal surface of the body. This is in contrast to other embodiments,such as the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1A-1C where the lace guidesvisibly extend over the outer surface of the boot body 110. However, inother embodiments, lace guides may be located at a position beneath theouter surface of the boot, or may otherwise be covered. As a result, asubstantial portion of the lace guides and, hence, lace that runstherethrough, may be hidden from view. In some cases, the lace guide(s)are stitched or otherwise attached to the body of the boot at a suitablyconcealed location.

For example, FIG. 2 shows an illustrative embodiment of a boot 100 thatis similar to the boot of FIGS. 1A-1C, except here, a substantialportion of the lace guides through which the lace extends is hidden fromview, indicated by the dashed lines. As shown, substantial portions ofthe lace 140 that extend through the lace guides 160, 162, 164, and thelace guides themselves, run underneath the outer surface of the boot andare not visible to observers. In some embodiments, the lace guides areaesthetically incorporated with various layers of the boot.

Though, some parts of the lace 140 may be visible. For instance, asfurther shown in FIG. 2, a portion of the lace 140 that extends betweenthe lace guides 152, 164 may be visible. In some cases, such visibilityof the lace 140 may allow a wearer to assess how tightly the strap 150has been pulled inward toward the front, the degree to which the medialand lateral sides have been drawn into the shaft region, or whether thelace is functioning properly. While various combinations of internallyand/or externally positioned lace guides are described and shown in thefigures, other combinations are within the scope of the presentdisclosure and will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art.

As described herein, embodiments in accordance with the presentdisclosure may be configured such that one or more regions of the bootmay be tightened independently from one another. As shown in FIGS. 1A-2and described above, the lace 140 is arranged so as to provide a singlezone where the front and medial/lateral sides of the boot may betightened at the same time. That is, tightening of the lace 140 to pullagainst the strap 150 at the back of the boot not only brings medial andlateral sides (e.g., opposing edges) of the tongue opening 116 together,but also draws or otherwise pulls the medial and lateral sides of theboot inward toward the shaft region of the boot.

FIGS. 3A-3C depict another embodiment of a boot 100 that incorporates alacing system which is configured to pull against a strap 150 positionedat the rear side of the boot body 110 so that at least portions of themedial and lateral sides are brought together. Similar to FIG. 2, thelace guides 160, 162, 164 are located underneath the outer surface ofthe boot and so are hidden from view. Though, in this embodiment, theboot is arranged to have more than one lacing zone.

As discussed above, it is not required for a single lace to extend overboth upper and lower regions of the tongue opening 116, for tighteningthe front side of the boot, while also extending rearward to couple to astrap 150 at medial and lateral sides of the boot, for tightening therear side of the boot. For certain embodiments, such as that illustratedin FIGS. 3A-3C, the boot 100 may include multiple laces 140, 142 eachhaving a tensioning member 170, 172 for manipulating the tension of therespective laces.

Alternatively, while not expressly shown in the figures, for someembodiments, a single lace may be employed for tensioning multiplezones. For example, the lace may be divided into various portions thatare each arranged so as to correspond to distinct tensioning zones forthe boot. One portion of the lace may be configured to tighten the frontside tongue opening of the boot, and another portion of the lace may beconfigured to pull against the strap located along the rear side of theboot. In some cases, the lace may be appropriately anchored atparticular locations of the boot so as to demarcate between laceportions that are used to tighten respective regions of the boot. Insome embodiments, distinct portions of the lace used to tightenparticular regions of the boot may be suitably coupled to respectivetensioning members for tightening thereof. Or, a single tensioningmember may be coupled to various portions of the lace, and may be usedto tighten each portion of the lace and, hence, tighten each respectiveregion of the boot.

Referring back to the embodiment of FIGS. 3A-3C, a first lace 140extends over the upper region 117 of the tongue opening 116 and alsoextends rearward so as to couple to the strap 150. Similar to theembodiment of FIGS. 1A-2, both ends of the lace 140 are coupled to afirst tensioning member 170. Accordingly, tightening of the first lace140 results in bringing medial and lateral sides of the upper region 117of the tongue opening 116 toward one another and also pulling againstthe strap 150 at the rear side of the boot. Such pulling may bringmedial and lateral sides of the shaft portion of the boot together, andoptionally draw the strap 150 inward toward the front as well. That is,the first lace 140, coupled with the first tensioning member 170, may betensioned so as to tighten both the upper region 117 of the front sideof the boot and the rear/medial/lateral side(s) of the boot,simultaneously, independently from the lower region 118 of the frontside of the boot.

Also in this embodiment, a second lace 142, separate from the first lace140, is threaded along medial and lateral sides of the lower region 118of the tongue opening 116. Here, one end of the lace 140 is coupled to asecond tensioning member 172 and the opposing end of the lace isanchored or otherwise secured to the body of the boot at a location 144distal from the tensioning member 172. Accordingly, upon tightening, thetensioning member 172 draws in the one end of the lace 142 to which itis coupled while the opposite end of the lace is fixed to the boot,bringing medial and lateral sides of the lower region 117 of the tongueopening 116 toward one another. As a result, the second lace 142,coupled with the second tensioning member 172, may be tensioned so as totighten the lower region 118 of the front side of the boot,independently from the upper region 117 of the front side and therear/medial/lateral side(s) of the boot.

It can be appreciated that embodiments in accordance with the presentdisclosure may employ any suitable arrangement of lace(s) and tensioningmember(s). For example, three separate laces, each optionally coupled toa respective tensioning member, or anchored/tied at suitable locations,may be used for tightening three separate zones of the boot, such as theupper region of the front side, the lower region of the front side andthe rear/medial/lateral side(s) of the boot. Alternatively, as discussedabove, one lace may be used to tighten multiple zones independently(e.g., by being appropriately coupled to multiple tensioning members).

In some embodiments, a cushioning member may be provided at the rear ofthe boot so as to provide added comfort for the wearer. For instance, itmay be preferable that compressive pressure provided to the rear side ofthe boot be distributed in a substantially even manner. While pullinginward against the rear of the boot may provide for a more snug fit fora wearer, stress concentrations applied at certain locations may lead tooverall pain or discomfort. Accordingly, a cushioning member may beprovided at the rear of the boot (e.g., between the strap and the bootbody), so as to provide for a more comfortable fit when the strap istightened inward.

For example, FIGS. 3A-3B show a cushioning member 180 located at therear side of the body along the rear backstay of the boot body 110. Asshown, the cushioning member is located between the boot body 110 andthe strap 150. Though, other arrangements that include a cushioningmember may be employed, for example, a cushioning member may be locatedbetween the interior of the boot body 110 and the foot of the wearer.

The cushioning member 180 may be useful to distribute pressure at therear side of the body upon tightening of the lace. The cushioning member180 may have any appropriate shape and may be relatively soft (e.g.,made up of a polymer, neoprene, etc.) compared to other portions of thebody, so as to provide an added amount of comfort for the wearer upontightening of the lace. When the lace 140 and strap 150 are tightenedinward, the cushioning member 180 may provide a gradual transition forthe wearer from a relatively loosened position to the more tightenedposition.

Other configurations are possible, as particular arrangements of thelace(s) and strap(s) in accordance with the present disclosure are notlimited in this respect. For example, rather than a lace being secured,looped or otherwise coupled to a strap associated with the rear side ofthe boot at both opposing ends of the strap, the lace may be secured tothe strap at one end while the other end of the strap is anchored to theboot body. Accordingly, upon tightening of the lace, the strap may bepulled by the lace toward the opposing medial or lateral side. Forexample, upon tightening of the lace 140, the strap may be pulled in adirection from the medial side toward the lateral side, or from thelateral side toward the medial side, pulling the strap against the rearof the boot 100 and toward the front.

FIGS. 4A-4B depict an embodiment of a boot 100 that shows such anarrangement where one end of the strap is anchored to the boot body. Theboot 100 includes a lace 140 that extends from the lateral side througha strap 150 and around the rear backstay, terminating at the medial sideof the boot. As shown, one end of the lace 140 extends upward so as tobe coupled to a tensioning member 170 on the lateral side of the boot,and the opposite end of the lace 140 is anchored at a suitable location144 on the medial side of the boot. When the lace 140 is tightened, thelace 140 is pulled from the medial side across the rear backstay to thelateral side of the boot, pulling the strap 150 inward against the rearof the boot, which may serve to squeeze portion of the Achilles' tendonarea of the wearer. The medial and/or lateral sides of the boot may alsobe drawn inward. While not shown in FIGS. 4A-4B, for some embodimentsthat incorporate the rear lacing system depicted in FIGS. 4A-4B, theboot may suitably employ a separate lacing system for the tongue openingon the front side.

In some embodiments, not shown in the figures, one end of the strap maybe anchored on a medial or lateral side of the boot, and the lace mayform a loop or be coupled to the opposing end of the strap. The lace maypull on the end of the strap to which the lace is coupled, resulting inpulling of the strap inward so as to tighten the rear side, as well asother sides, of the boot.

In FIGS. 5A-5B, the boot 100 includes a lacing system that is arrangedto pull up on the strap 150 in a manner that may bring the rear side ofthe boot inward. In some cases, the medial and lateral sides of the bootmay also be brought inward toward the shaft region. As shown, similar toother embodiments described herein, the strap 150 extends across theportion of the rear side of the boot that covers the Achilles' tendonarea of the wearer. Though, in this embodiment, the ends of the strap onthe lateral and medial sides of the boot are re-routed throughrespective adapters 154 (e.g., D-rings), so as to extend from asubstantially horizontal direction to a substantially verticaldirection. Here, the lace 140 extends above the strap 150 and hooks onto respective ends of the strap through the lace guides 152.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 5A-5B, the tensioning member 170 is coupledto both ends of the lace 140. When the lace 140 is tightened, the strap150 is pulled in a direction substantially parallel to the shaft axisalong which the upper region of the body is oriented (e.g., in avertical direction, substantially perpendicular to the direction inwhich the strap extends), cinching the strap (e.g., at the adapters)against the rear side of the boot. As tension builds in the lace 140,the strap may also be drawn inward toward the shaft region at the medialand lateral sides of the boot. Such an embodiment may be beneficial tokeep the lace confined to a particular region of the boot. For example,in some cases, tensioning of the lace may cause pressure build up in anundesirable manner in regions where the lace is located. Accordingly, itmay be preferable to restrict the lace to a region of the boot wheretightening thereof does not lead to discomfort.

The strap 150 may include any suitable material. For example, asdiscussed above, the strap may be constructed so as to provide for arelatively comfortable fit for the wearer when pulled against theAchilles' tendon area of the wearer. In some embodiments, the strap maybe made up of a relatively soft material, such as a fabric,plastic/polymer (e.g., polyurethane, polyimide, polyester, polyethylene,etc.), foam, webbing or other suitable material that is able to transferpressure (e.g., for applying compression against the rear backstay)while also having an appropriate degree of flexibility (e.g., fordistributing stress in a comfortable manner).

The strap may further have any suitable shape or configuration thatallows for various regions of the boot body to be pressed inward, whiledistributing pressure over a large area, in a relatively even manner.For instance, FIGS. 6A-6D illustrate a number of examples of straps 150that are shaped so as to flare outward from the point of attachment ofthe lace 140, for example, at the strap lace guide.

As shown in FIGS. 6A, 6B and 6D, the strap 150 may be protected orotherwise covered by a strip of material (e.g., fabric, skin, etc.) onthe boot body so as not to expose the rear of the outer surface of thestrap. Or, as shown in FIG. 6C, the outer surface of the strap 150 maybe exposed, extending over the rear of the boot.

In some embodiments, the strap 150 may positioned over the J barinsert(s) located along the liner of the boot. Accordingly, upontensioning of the lace portion(s), the strap may be pulled against therespective J bars, further limiting lift of the heel that may otherwisebe prone to occur during use.

It should be understood that the foregoing description is intendedmerely to be illustrative thereof and that other embodiments,modifications, and equivalents are within the scope of the presentdisclosure recited in the claims appended hereto. Further, although eachembodiment described above includes certain features, the presentdisclosure is not limited in this respect. Thus, one or more of theabove-described or other features of the boot or methods of use, may beemployed singularly or in any suitable combination, as the presentdisclosure and the claims are not limited to a specific embodiment.

What is claimed is:
 1. A soft snowboard boot comprising: a body having afront side, a rear side, a medial side and a lateral side defining ashaft region; and a lace cooperating with a rear side of the body andarranged to be tightened to draw at least one of the rear side, themedial side and the lateral side of the body inward toward the shaftregion of the body. 2.-4. (canceled)
 5. The soft snowboard boot of claim1, wherein the lace is arranged to partially circumscribe a portion ofthe body.
 6. The soft snowboard boot of claim 1, further comprising atleast one strap coupled to the lace, wherein tightening of the laceresults in at least one of the rear side, the medial side and thelateral side of the body being drawn inward toward the shaft region ofthe body.
 7. The soft snowboard boot of claim 6, wherein the at leastone strap has a strap lace guide for guiding the lace.
 8. The softsnowboard boot of claim 6, wherein the lace, upon tightening, isarranged to pull against the at least one strap from at least one of alateral side and a medial side of the body.
 9. The soft snowboard bootof claim 6, wherein the at least one strap extends along a portion ofthe rear side of the body.
 10. The soft snowboard boot of claim 6,wherein the at least one strap is constructed and arranged to be pulledby the lace in a direction substantially perpendicular to a shaft axisalong which an upper region of the body is oriented, for pulling againstthe at least one strap.
 11. The soft snowboard boot of claim 6, whereinthe at least one strap is constructed and arranged to be pulled by thelace in a direction substantially parallel to a shaft axis along whichan upper region of the body is oriented, for pulling against the atleast one strap.
 12. The soft snowboard boot of claim 1, wherein thelace includes a first lace portion arranged to be tightened to draw atleast one of the rear side, the medial side and the lateral side of thebody inward toward the shaft region of the body, and a second laceportion arranged to be tightened independently from tightening of thefirst lace portion, to pull medial and lateral sides of a tongue openingof the front side toward one another.
 13. The soft snowboard boot ofclaim 1, wherein the lace extends from at least one of a medial side anda lateral side of the body toward the rear side of the body.
 14. Thesoft snowboard boot of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the laceextends over the rear side of the body.
 15. The soft snowboard boot ofclaim 1, wherein the front side of the body has a tongue opening, and aportion of the lace extends over the tongue opening such that, upontightening of the lace, medial and lateral sides of the tongue openingare pulled toward one another.
 16. The soft snowboard boot of claim 1,wherein the front side of the body has a tongue opening, and anadditional lace extends over the tongue opening such that, upontightening of the additional lace, medial and lateral sides of thetongue opening are pulled toward one another.
 17. The soft snowboardboot of claim 1, further comprising a cushioning member located at therear side of the body for distributing pressure at the rear side of thebody upon tightening of the lace.
 18. The soft snowboard boot of claim1, wherein the lace cooperates with a rear side of the body and isarranged to be tightened to draw the medial side and the lateral side ofthe body inward toward the shaft region of the body.
 19. The softsnowboard boot of claim 18, wherein, upon tightening of the lace, therear side of the body remains stationary relative to the shaft region ofthe body.
 20. A boot comprising: a body having a front side, a rearside, a medial side and a lateral side defining a shaft region; and alace arranged to partially circumscribe a portion of the body, and thelace arranged to be tightened to draw at least one of the rear side, themedial side and the lateral side of the body inward toward the shaftregion of the body.
 21. The boot of claim 20, further comprising atensioning member adapted to tighten the lace to draw at least one ofthe rear side, the medial side and the lateral side of the body inwardtoward the shaft region of the body.
 22. The boot of claim 20, furthercomprising at least one strap coupled to the lace and arranged to drawat least one of the rear side, the medial side and the lateral side ofthe body inward toward the shaft region of the body.
 23. The boot ofclaim 22, wherein the lace, upon tightening, is arranged to pull againstthe at least one strap from at least one of a lateral side and a medialside of the body.
 24. The boot of claim 20, wherein the lace includes afirst lace portion arranged to be tightened to draw at least one of therear side, the medial side and the lateral side of the body inwardtoward the shaft region of the body, and a second lace portion arrangedto be tightened independently from tightening of the first lace portion,to pull medial and lateral sides of a tongue opening of the front sidetoward one another.
 25. The boot of claim 20, wherein the lace extendsfrom at least one of a medial side and a lateral side of the body towardthe rear side of the body. 26.-28. (canceled)
 29. The boot of claim 20,wherein the boot is constructed as a soft snowboard boot.
 30. The bootof claim 20, wherein the lace cooperates with a rear side of the bodyand is arranged to be tightened to draw the medial side and the lateralside of the body inward toward the shaft region of the body.
 31. Theboot of claim 30, wherein, upon tightening of the lace, the rear side ofthe body remains stationary relative to the shaft region of the body.32.-78. (canceled)